The Story Continues ...

Today we received this e-mail with yet another chapter in the Gackenheimer Bible story. It truly is fascinating. Enjoy!

Does this wonderful story have no miraculous ending . . . not yet! I thought you would be interested in the latest installment.

JWH.

Well, JW, it is good to hear from you and to learn that you are home all safe and sound. I do agree that living out of a suitcase for 5 weeks would be a bit much!

Now to the story of the Bible. In setting out to write this, I must say that that experience at Rosario has been the source of not a little amazement and joy to me, to think that on that Sabbath morning, two people from Tennessee, one from Michigan, and one from SE Washington State all came together at Rosario and so set the stage for the pieces of a fascinating story to come together, a story that has been some 45 years in the making! (I would say the odds are Providential!)

As I sat in Sabbath School that morning and the lesson was ending, the teacher mentioned she thought she had time to slip a little story in as an ending. As the story began to unfold, it caught my attention that it involved a lost Bible, one that had been cherished by a missionary grandfather, one that had notations in the margins and sermon notes besides! I turned in that moment and whispered to my wife, "I know the story of this lost Bible!" But then, as the story continued on, mention was made of the grandfather being in the Caribbean somewhere, and of the Bible being found in a store somewhere in South America. I began to think that, uncanny as it might be, this could not be the story I knew but one amazingly similar to the one I had seen unfold so long ago.

But the story was not over. As its teller went on, I heard a name I had once known but had not heard in decades - Gackenheimer! I turned again to my wife and repeated, "I know the story of that lost Bible!" I thought that somehow the Bible must have found its way from Africa, where it had been lost, all the way to South America! I decided, in that moment, to tell your daughter (Shandelle Henson) what I knew.

So it was that as Sabbath School broke up, I went forward, introduced myself to your daughter, and asked if her grandfather Gackenheimer had ever been in Kenya? She replied, "Yes." I asked it he had been there during the years between 1962 and 1965. The response came back, "Yes, it was somewhere during that time." I then told her that I knew how, when, and where the Bible had been lost because, as a child I had attended Maxwell Preparatory School in Nairobi during those years and I distinctly remember how it was that one Sabbath, Elder Gackenheimer appeared at church in great distress. Now, Elder Gackenheimer, as we knew him, was known to the student body because he had interest in us and would come and speak to us not infrequently. As I recall, he worked in the East African Union office, I think in charge of the Sabbath School work. Anyway, he came to church in great distress (I do not recall if he was to the be the speaker that day or not. Seems to me he was). But the reason for his distress was told to us. On the way to church that morning, while traveling the 6 miles from the Union compound to the school, he had to stop at the side of the road for some reason (a flat tire? I do not recall). When he stopped, he had found it necessary to take the Bible from his lap in order to get out of the car. As he got out, he placed the Bible on the roof while he tended to whatever the business at hand was. Then, when he was finished, he climbed back into the car but failed to notice the Bible on the roof. At that point, he was in a hurry because of the delay, and he drove right off never noticing the Bible when it fell off along the way.

As soon as he realized the Bible was lost, he returned along the route he had come, but was not able to find it. At that point, his distress became noticeable. He spoke of how much that Bible was cherished for it had notations in the margins, and sermon notes between the covers. He spoke sorrowfully about his loss. It was his sorrow that registered in my mind and has remained in memory all these years.

As far as the particulars of the lost Bible are concerned, I know at least this much. It was lost between the years of 1962 and 1965 in Nairobi, Kenya, on the road between the old East African Union compound and the old location of Maxwell School. If I were to try to be more precise about the years, I would put the loss between 1963-4.

Of course, it is a matter of no small interest and fascination to know who might have picked the Bible up, how it got to the USA, and then how it got to South America! Those details I cannot speak to. But now you know my side of the story. I am very happy to have been able to fill in a few of the missing details!

You have now in your hands a real treasure. To think that a Bible that was lost in Kenya 45 years ago has now turned up and been sent to the family is truly amazing and blessed!

With best regards,

Dave Thomas